1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to automated dispensing machines.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for making cold confectionery products.
In a further and more specific aspect the present invention relates to a coin operated machine for automatically making and dispensing snow cones.
2. Prior Art
Snow cones have been made and sold at circuses, carnivals, and other special events and specialty stores, and have been enjoyed by many people for a great many years. However, problems associated with production and distribution have been numerous.
Machines currently being used for making snow cones consists more or less of a grinding machine for making flaked ice, and the other operations such as depositing the ice into a cup and applying the flavored syrup are manually accomplished by an attendant. As is well known, snow cones are made by depositing flaked ice into a cone shaped cup and applying a flavoring syrup thereon. These steps are generally accomplished manually, and depending on the attendant, the environment, and the equipment used, such a manual operation can be very unsanitary.
Many of the problems associated with making snow cones have been overcome by an automated snow cone machine, which produces snow cones in a very sanitary environment. The automated snow cone maker makes well shaped cones and dispenses the syrup evenly over the ice. While the automated snow cone machine makes an attractive snow cone, there is a problem with its ice cap crumbling when consumed. The existing snow cone machine includes a collar which is lowered into contact with the lip of a cone cup. This retains the ice from which the distinctive ice cap is shaped. An ice capping device is lowered to shape the ice cap. While this effectively produces a well shape ice cap, the shaping process causes a slight relative movement between the collar and the cup. This slight movement causes the ice cone to break away from the cup proximate the lip. When the cone is bitten into, the ice cap will crumble.
Another problem associated with most automatic dispensing machines involves fraud and cheating in the vending business. Manipulation and knock downs on the products by operators, route service people and employees is one of the biggest problems of an owner or vending machine company. The company may hold them liable for route inventory or short fall, however the fraud and cheating is very difficult to detect. With regards specifically to snow cone machines, it is simple for the operator to water the snow cone syrup, or to supply their own syrup and cups. Diluting the syrup is very difficult to detect. Therefore, control is very difficult, and cheating can only be detected when taken to an extreme.
All vending machines tend to have problems with fraud and cheating, whether single item vending machines as described above, or multiple item vending machines dispensing snacks or drinks. In most vending machines attempts at preventing cheating and fraud are abandoned, and are simply calculated into operating expenses. Others attempt to identify fraud by product/cash accountability. This is analogous to closing the barn door after the horse has escaped. Product/cash accounting by electronic in machine data collection methods are inadequate, even using hand held scanners and in-house customized or commercial bar coding on items. Such means of product tracking do not furnish sufficient machine control to prevent all the many ways of cheating a machine. Therefore, absolute control is very difficult and cheating can only be detected when taken to an extreme. If the route servicing person is inept or greedy, his/her cheating may be detected. However, there are myriad ways of avoiding detection. A route service person, knowing what an operation owner's product costs, can buy and substitute products at a lower cost and pocket the difference. Dispensed items per machine or per column at point of sale will be the same. The operation owner receives the money expected and does not realize his issued product is being substituted.
The costs involved are generally passed on to the consumer with increases in prices, resulting, many times, in lower consumption.
It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide improvements in automatic snow cone machines.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a snow cone machine capable of producing satisfactory snow cones.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved self-contained vending machine for automatically making and dispensing snow cones.
And another object of the present invention is to provide a snow cone machine which operates under extremely sanitary conditions.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a snow cone machine which produces substantially consistent snow cones.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a snow cone making machine which produces relatively inexpensive snow cones.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a snow cone making machine which will reduce cheating and fraud by the operators.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a policing system for preventing cheating and fraud in vending machines.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a policing system which may be installed on an existing vending machine.
And a further object of the present invention is to provide a policing system and method which will provide substantially complete control over items dispensed from a vending machine.